The Derviş Otel, just a few minutes' walk away from the Mevlana shrine, was Konya's first boutique hotel, housed inside a restored Ottoman house with that rare asset in a very built-up city, a pretty garden set around a decorative pool. With only seven rooms, it's often full so you'll need to book ahead.

The original shape of the house has been retained which means an unexpectedly large central hall with the reception towards the rear. The bedrooms open off the hall which can result in a certain amount of noise as other people check in. Guests are expected to take off their shoes at the door; soft slippers are provided instead.

Bedrooms are spacious although the bathrooms are small so as not to damage the original proportions. To be honest, I expected to love my room but instead found it a tad dull. For the price I would have expected good cotton sheets, more than one pillow, and a kettle in the room, none of which was provided. The wall-mounted TV had some English programming and the air-con worked well although it was placed in a position that made it difficult to operate from the bed.

In the morning breakfast is served not in the garden as I would have expected but in the basement where sound tends to echo. The choice of items available was fairly standard although fresh orange juice was a nice touch. When I suggested that it might have been nice to sit outside the hotelier said I could have had my breakfast there if I'd asked but it clearly wasn't what was expected as I was directed to the basement.

Couples will probably find this hotel a good choice. For single travellers, though, I thought it was over-priced for what was on offer. It didn't help that the price originally quoted was in euros rather than TL when most of Konya simply quotes lira.

There are few alternatives in Konya for those in search of something atmospheric and the garden certainly is pretty.

Thumbs up: Atmospheric old building in great location

Thumbs down: Few steps up to door; front door always has to be unlocked; overpriced